Benzema, BBC's perfect lubricant

As a fan, and always a Karim Benzema fan, it was great to see him furious on the bench at the Estadio Mestalla. At last, because one thing doesn't cancel out the other.

I love Benzema, but on occasions his lack of desire bugged me. I think, in fact, that his career at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu would have been very different if he had run a bit more, chasing lost causes.

Others, with less talent and less qualms, have done so and with reasonable success.

Since 2013, the Frenchman has been the perfect lubricant for the BBC, he is the player who gives time for thought alongside the frenetic speed of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

The Portuguese and Welshmen play in their space, but it is Benzema who creates it for them, he does so linking with his teammates in midfield.

This position of nine and a half (he's neither a No. 10 nor a No. 9, although that is his shirt number and puts even more pressure on him that doesn't free him from the pressure of scoring goals, something he has done more than even Paco Gento), is one that no-one can play like Karim, a player who connects with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos (Isco's role, at this point of the season, is another matter entirely), and allows his teammates to attack.

Real Madrid have enjoyed his positional play since the times of Jose Mourinho,but it is necessary to pause for thought to break down the perfect storm.

At the present moment, nobody plays that role like Benzema in Madrid, and nobody knows it better than Zinedine Zidane.